A Inviting Space for Wine Tasting

 

 

Before

The clients are wine collectors, and enjoy hosting gatherings in which they can serve wine from their collection. The problem was that they did not have a dedicated space to do so. With two kids, the main living areas were not conductive to entertain while imbibing in adult beverages. The home was built in the 1920’s, and is quite sturdy and spacious, but there was not any place on the main floor where an adult haven could of been created. The basement had plenty of space, but nowhere to put the wine cooling system/room. There was a closet under the stairway where the clients had kept their wine; this was the starting point. Another issue regarding the basement was that it was currently used for exercising, as well as drum lessons. It was important that space was kept for that! Thankfully, the drums were no longer being used so out they went. The area under the stairway was not large, although it was enough to hold about 140 bottles of wine, and the clients were good with that!

 

After

Creating a wine cellar/cooler in a small space was no easy fit. The wine storage space was designed according to the way that it would be used. Then the socializing space outside of the cooler was created – a bar to keep glassware and corkscrews, as well as several seating areas which will be used to relax with friends. The room had to be split in two to accommodate the exercise equipment, therefore a wall and door were built at the midway point. To give the room a wine cellar vibe, the new wall was designed with stacked slate stone, and the door and trim with a darkly muted non-colour: not black, not brown, not gray. The original walls of the room were thick plywood trimmed in firring strips; the clients were surprised when the decision was made to keep them, but in reality, they were perfect for the type of room being designed. They added interesting texture to the room, as well as complimented the stacked stone wall nicely. The plywood was painted in a warm gray tone, which was the same colour as the cinder block wall behind the wine storage. The room was furnished with a sofa, chair, bistro table, two stools, and a bar where guests could visit with their host/bartender. The vinyl wood-look plank flooring looked great and gave the clients peace of mind if water ever seeped into their old home.